# Two men jailed over Carrigaholt post office robbery Case 4011. Robbery, Co. Clare **TL;DR:** Two masked men armed with iron bars robbed An Post Carrigaholt in west Clare at 3.10pm on 21 January 2026, assaulting postmistress Maura McKiernan and taking cash, coins and a cheque worth €8,944.63. Michael McMahon (39) of Kilkishen and Darren Cassidy (39) of Ennis entered the post office, while Darragh Pender (31) of Ennis and Martin Downes (36) of Quilty were alleged getaway drivers. All four were caught by the Garda Armed Response Unit after a high-speed chase the same afternoon and charged with robbery. McMahon, Cassidy and Pender went on to plead guilty at Ennis Circuit Court, while Downes is pleading not guilty with his trial due in February 2027. On 11 November 2026 Judge Francis Comerford jailed McMahon for six years and five months and Cassidy for five years and four months, backdated to 23 January, and adjourned Pender's sentencing pending a probation report. **Stage:** Sentenced. Reported stages: In court (2026-01-01), Convicted (2026-07-31), Sentenced (2026-11-11) ## People - Victim: Maura McKiernan, woman - Suspect: Martin Downes, man, 36 - Suspect: Michael McMahon, man, 39 - Suspect: Darren Cassidy, man, 39 - Suspect: Darragh Pender, man, 31 - Suspect: Mr Downes, man, 36 ## Key facts **What happened** - Two men dressed in white overalls, black hoods and black gloves, each armed with an iron bar, entered Carrigaholt Post Office, assaulted postmistress Maura McKiernan and took cash, coins and a cheque to the value of €8,944.63. **When** - The robbery took place at 3.10pm on 21 January 2026. **Where** - The robbery happened at An Post Carrigaholt, The Square, Carrigaholt, Co Clare. **Weapon** - McMahon and Cassidy were each armed with an iron bar, and Cassidy struck Ms McKiernan, knocking her to the ground, while McMahon smashed the counter glass demanding money. **Investigation** - After Ms McKiernan raised the alarm, a high-speed chase across west Clare ended on the outskirts of Ennis where the four suspects were apprehended by the Garda Armed Response Unit at 3.45pm on 21 January. - Gardaí recovered €6,500 in notes and coins from the road after items were thrown from the alleged second getaway car, a BMW, and recovered a SuperValu bag and two metal bars at the post office. - The first getaway car, a black saloon, was witnessed on fire near a wind farm at Letteragh, and Darren Cassidy was arrested with a receipt dated 19 January from Carrigaholt Post Office stuck to his tracksuit by chewing gum. **Charges** - Martin Downes, Michael McMahon, Darren Cassidy and Darragh Pender were each charged with robbing Maura McKiernan of cash, coins and a cheque worth €8,944.63 contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, and Pender also faces three dangerous driving charges from the same date. **In court** - Bail was refused to all four at Ennis District Court on 23 January, and Downes and Pender later secured High Court consent to bail but were for a time unable to take it up over bail address issues. - Michael McMahon, Darren Cassidy and Darragh Pender pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to robbing Ms McKiernan, while Martin Downes is pleading not guilty and his trial is due in February 2027. **Sentence** - On 11 November 2026 Judge Francis Comerford imposed cumulative prison terms of thirteen years, jailing McMahon for seven years and two months with the final nine months suspended and Cassidy for five years and ten months with the final six months suspended, backdated to 23 January 2026. - Pender's sentencing was adjourned pending a probation report, and Judge Comerford said the offence was at the highest level of the mid-range of robbery offending. **Other details** - It is alleged Pender and Downes were the getaway drivers, with Downes picking up his three co-accused near the Letteragh wind farm in the second getaway car, and both men have no previous convictions. - Judge Alec Gabbett said the postmistress was left with very serious injuries and black and blue, and it was reported that Downes was assaulted while in prison. ## Reports (21) | Date | Outlet | Report | |---|---|---| | 2026-01-01 | thejournal.ie | [Postmistress at isolated post office allegedly 'violently and viciously assaulted' by two men](https://www.thejournal.ie/postmistress-assaulted-clare-6937041-Jan2026/) | | 2026-01-23 | rte.ie | [Postmistress assaulted by men with iron bars, court hears](https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2026/0123/1554781-postmistress-assault/) | | 2026-01-24 | irishmirror.ie | [An Post post-mistress 'viciously assaulted' by two men in 'calculated robbery'](https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/post-post-mistress-viciously-assaulted-36608177) | | 2026-01-26 | clareecho.ie | [Ennis & West Clare men charged with ‘violent’ Carrigaholt robbery - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/ennis-west-clare-men-charged-with-violent-carrigaholt-robbery-2/) | | 2026-01-29 | clareecho.ie | [Four men charged in connection with Carrigaholt robbery further remanded in custody for 2 weeks - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/four-men-charged-in-connection-with-carrigaholt-robbery-further-remanded-in-custody-for-2-weeks/) | | 2026-02-11 | clareecho.ie | [One of four men accused of Carrigaholt robbery secures conditional High Court consent to bail - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/one-of-four-men-accused-of-carrigaholt-robbery-secures-conditional-high-court-consent-to-bail/) | | 2026-02-25 | clareecho.ie | [Prison support sought for Carrigaholt robbery accused who has been in same clothes for a month - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/prison-support-sought-for-carrigaholt-robbery-accused-who-has-been-in-same-clothes-for-a-month/) | | 2026-03-14 | clareecho.ie | [Four Clare men charged with Carrigaholt post office robbery remanded in custody for another fortnight - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/four-clare-men-charged-with-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery-remanded-in-custody-for-another-fortnight/) | | 2026-03-27 | clareecho.ie | [Two Clare men confirm signed pleas of guilt to Carrigaholt post office robbery - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/two-clare-men-confirm-signed-pleas-of-guilt-to-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery/) | | 2026-04-17 | clareecho.ie | [Third Clare men to enter guilty plea for 'cold & calculated' Carrigaholt post office robbery - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/third-clare-men-to-enter-guilty-plea-for-cold-calculated-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery/) | | 2026-05-08 | clareecho.ie | [Three Carrigaholt post office accused to go before circuit court - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/three-carrigaholt-post-office-accused-to-go-before-circuit-court/) | | 2026-05-26 | clareecho.ie | [Two Carrigaholt Post Office accused won't be muted in circuit court by DPP demand to accept 'chapter and verse' allegations made against them - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/two-carrigaholt-post-office-accused-wont-be-muted-in-circuit-court-by-dpp-demand-to-accept-chapter-and-verse-allegations-made-against-them/) | | 2026-06-02 | clareecho.ie | [One of Carrigaholt Post Office robbery accused secures bail - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/one-of-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery-accused-secures-bail/) | | 2026-06-11 | clareecho.ie | [Clare man enters signed guilty plea to Carrigaholt Post Office robbery - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/clare-man-enters-signed-guilty-plea-to-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery/) | | 2026-06-17 | clareecho.ie | [Second man enters signed guilty plea to Carrigaholt Post Office Robbery while third co-accused assaulted in prison - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/second-man-enters-signed-guilty-plea-to-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery-while-third-co-accused-assaulted-in-prison/) | | 2026-06-26 | clareecho.ie | [Second Carrigaholt Post Office robbery accused faces additional charges of dangerous driving - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/second-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery-accused-faces-additional-charges-of-dangerous-driving/) | | 2026-07-31 | clareecho.ie | [Second Clare man enters guilty plea to Carrigaholt robbery in the Circuit Court - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/second-clare-man-enters-guilty-plea-to-carrigaholt-robbery-in-the-circuit-court/) | | 2026-08-10 | clareecho.ie | [Surety approved to give bail to only man pleading not guilty to robbery of Carrigaholt post office - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/surety-approved-to-give-bail-to-only-man-pleading-not-guilty-to-robbery-of-carrigaholt-post-office/) | | 2026-09-15 | clareecho.ie | [Third Clare man enters guilty plea to 'cold & calculated' Carrigaholt post office robbery - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/third-clare-man-enters-guilty-plea-to-cold-calculated-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery/) | | 2026-11-11 | clareecho.ie | [Cumulative 13 year prison terms on two armed robbers who 'terrorised' Carrigaholt post mistress - Clare Echo](https://www.clareecho.ie/cumulative-13-year-prison-terms-on-two-armed-robbers-who-terrorised-carrigaholt-post-mistress/) | | 2026-11-11 | rte.ie | [Two men who 'terrorised' Clare postmistress jailed](https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2026/1111/1598880-two-men-who-terrorised-a-clare-postmistress-jailed/) | HTML: https://irelandcrime.com/case/two-men-jailed-over-carrigaholt-post-office-robbery-4011 This page is put together automatically from the reports listed above. 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